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Longtime HGTV personality Christina Hall is facing backlash from fans who are furious about posts she shared on Instagram last week that revealed her friendship with conservative firebrand Candace Owens, who attended a viewing party for the designer’s new series, “Christina in the Country.”
While Christina and her husband, Josh Hall, have supported Owens’ projects and social media posts in the past, many social media followers were unaware of her connection to the polarizing media commentator until Christina revealed it via her own social media account last week. While some fans heralded their relationship, others were so upset about the former “Flip or Flop” star’s association with Owens that they’ve vowed to boycott Christina’s shows. Here’s what you need to know:
Christina Hall Likely Met Candace Owens Through Her New Husband’s Family
GettyChristina Hall, Candace Owens
Owens, 33, who hosts a talk show on The Daily Wire, has made headlines in recent years for her bold stances and publicity stunts regarding hot-button issues, including appearing with Kanye West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, at an October 2022 fashion show where they wore matching long-sleeved t-shirts with “White Lives Matter” written in large letters on the back, per CBS News.
Owens moved to Nashville in 2020 and Christina, 39, bought a farmhouse in the area in 2021. Christina and Josh, whose family knows Owens well, married in early 2022. And while the couple’s primary residence is in Newport Beach, California, they have been in Tennessee frequently over the past year, settling into their family vacation home and filming the first season of “Christina in the Country.”
The first of six episodes aired on January 12, 2023, featuring Josh’s sister Stacie Adams and her husband, Joel Adams, as Christina’s first Tennessee design clients. Stacie is close friends with Owens and the godmother to her daughter, born in July 2022.
On the day of the premiere, Christina posted photos with Josh, Stacie, and Joel on Instagram and wrote about how much she loves her sister-in-law, saying that Stacie’s among her “top 3 favorite females.”
Owens commented on the post, “Stacie the BBBBBBBB!! I cannot wait to watch her! Congratulations.”
Christina replied, “you know it” and added emojis of a fruity cocktail and a red heart.
That same day, Owens shared an image of Stacie and Christina from the show in her Instagram Stories and wrote, “One of my best friends, @StacieAdams is getting her house redone tonight @8PM on @HGTV’s #ChristinaOnTheCoast.”
Owens added, “Be sure to watch. Stacie is literally hilarious. The before and after is crazy. Christina crushed it.”
That night, Owens added a video and photo in her Instagram Stories from a casual home viewing party. In the video, Christina’s show was airing on a TV above a fireplace, while the photo showed Christina posing in the same room with Owens, Stacie, and another woman. The day after the premiere, Christina shared both in her own Instagram Stories, which surprised many fans.
HGTV Viewers Divided Over Christina Hall’s Connection to Candace Owens
Owens’ comment on Christina’s Instagram post and the photo of them together in her Instagram Stories were quickly noticed by fans, including some who were excited to see that the two are connected.
One follower wrote, “@thechristinahall if I didn’t love ya before… now a green light for a show in TENNESSEE AND seeing @realcandaceowens in your comments. Having @discoveryplus will finally be worth it.”
Another replied, “@thechristinahall I love you more now that @realcandaceowens is a fan because i love you both! Smart lady club”
But other fans were not nearly as excited to see Christina’s connection with Owens. On her Instagram post, one person wrote, “I love your show but not seeing Candance Owens in your comments. Bad look, really bad pr.”
Someone in the HGTV chat room on Reddit posted a screenshot of the photo from the premiere party and wrote, “Christina Hall friends with Candace Owens??” That post prompted dozens of comments from fans who said they would now boycott her shows.
“Sigh,” wrote one fan. “This is incredibly disappointing. Won’t be watching her shows anymore.”
Another wrote, “Yepppppp. Thats why I don’t watch anything with Christina anymore”
Multiple fans outlined some of Owens’ controversial stances and recent statements, saying they could not support a show hosted by someone who’s okay with her beliefs.
“(Christina) is complicit in throwing her support behind an extremist for hate,” one wrote. “This isn’t like RBG and Scalia being friends. This is far worse.”
In October 2022, a similar fan response occurred when Christina and Josh left supportive comments on one of Owens’ Instagram posts promoting her documentary, “The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM.” When Floyd’s family threatened to sue over the movie’s explosive claims about his death and Black Lives Matter’s funding, Owens threatened to countersue for emotional distress, according to Vibe.
In a since-deleted comment on Owens’ post about the movie’s premiere, as documented by Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Christina wrote, “We watched it last night, Josh and I are always so impressed with your tenacity and fearlessness. You are a true bada**.”
Christina’s comment, which she ended with a red heart emoji, generated 400 likes and many comments before being deleted. A screenshot of the comment section posted on Reddit showed that Owens replied, “thank you so much! We will see you guys soon xx”
Josh, a former police officer, also left a comment on the post that was later deleted. He wrote, “Candace, our family is proud of you and the work you do and continue to do. Like grandma always told us, there is not enough chiefs and too many Indians. You my friend are a chief! Keep up the good fight my sister from another mister.”